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Agronomy
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Response Mechanism of Plants to Water in Efficient Water-Saving Irrigation...
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Response Mechanism of Plants to Water in Efficient Water-Saving Irrigation Technologies

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Water Use and Irrigation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2025) | Viewed by 7007

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Xiang Gao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Crop, Livestock & Environment Division, JIRCAS, 1-1 Ohwashi, Tsukuba 305-8686, Ibaraki, Japan
Interests: plant roots; plant nutrition; nitrogen cycle; soil nitrification; biological nitrification inhibition; agricultural irrigation; negative pressure irrigation.
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Cristina Patanè

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CNR-Istituto per la BioEconomia (IBE), Sede Secondaria di Catania, Via P. Gaifami 18, 95126 Catania, Italy
Interests: seed germination; abiotic stresses; deficit irrigation; agronomy; crop management; energy biomass crops
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Xiaojun Song

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
State Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Arid and Semi-arid Arable Land in Northern China, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
Interests: agricultural irrigation; conservation agriculture; water and fertilizer management; soil organic carbon.

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Modern agricultural irrigation must confront the shortage of land water resources caused by rapid global climate warming. Therefore, it is necessary to enhance our understanding of agricultural irrigation techniques to improve the water use efficiency of crops and clarify the response and adjustment mechanism of crops to water availability. Currently, advanced water-saving practices such as sprinkler irrigation, drip irrigation, micro-spraying, and alternating root zone irrigation have emerged in agricultural irrigation. These practices offer sustainable solutions to improve water use efficiency, maintain plant and soil microorganism health, and ensure nutrient and water supply, thereby promoting sustainable agriculture.

Based on this, this Special Issue aims to focus on the response and regulatory mechanisms of plants to water under efficient water-saving irrigation technology and smart methods of farmland irrigation. This approach serves as an important strategy for addressing agricultural water shortages, resolving water resource productivity, and ensuring food security.

The topics to be covered in this Special Issue include the following:

  • The physiological and ecological responses and regulatory mechanisms of plants to water;
  • Plant water utilization strategies under drought stress;
  • Impact of utilizing traditional and modern irrigation technologies on agricultural production;
  • Water-saving irrigation system for sustainable agriculture.

Dr. Xiang Gao
Dr. Cristina Patanè
Guest Editors

Xiaojun Song
Guest Editor Assistant

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agronomy is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • agricultural irrigation
  • water use efficiency
  • water stress
  • water regulation strategies
  • plant plasticity
  • plant growth
  • sustainable agriculture

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 4741 KB  
Article
Water-Saving and Yield-Increasing Strategies for Maize Under Drip Irrigation and Straw Mulching in Semi-Arid Regions
by Zexin Qi, Chen Xu, Lizi Zhang, Lihua Zhang, Fei Li, Ning Sun, Renjie Zhao, Jingquan Ren, Qian Li, Shaofeng Bian, Zhian Zhang and Hongxiang Zhao
Agronomy 2025, 15(9), 2056; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15092056 - 26 Aug 2025
Viewed by 481
Abstract
An appropriate drip irrigation amount and the straw return method are important ways to save water and achieve efficient maize production in semi-arid areas. A 2-year controlled field plot experiment was performed with two factors: straw return (straw removal, straw mulching) and differing [...] Read more.
An appropriate drip irrigation amount and the straw return method are important ways to save water and achieve efficient maize production in semi-arid areas. A 2-year controlled field plot experiment was performed with two factors: straw return (straw removal, straw mulching) and differing drip irrigation amounts (200, 350, and 500 mm). Changes in growth, development, photosynthesis, yield, the components, and the water-use characteristics of maize under the intercropping conditions of drip irrigation amount and straw return were studied. The results showed that an increase in drip irrigation favored an increase in the net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs), and intercellular carbon dioxide concentration (Ci) of maize, and promoted an increase in maize plant height and leaf area index, which resulted in the accumulation of more dry matter and increased the maize yield. Compared with straw removal, straw mulching maintained a higher photosynthetic capacity at the later stages of maize growth and development under irrigations of 200 and 350 mm; the average increase in Pn over two years ranged from 4.06 to 19.19%; and good plant growth was maintained, thereby leading to the accumulation of more dry matter, with the average increase over two years ranging from 0.51 to 27.22%. Straw mulching also significantly improved water-use efficiency (WUE) at 350 mm of irrigation, with the average increase in yield over two years ranging from 4.58 to 4.83%. Overall, straw mulching had a positive impact on maize when irrigation was low, and when it was high, straw mulching did not adversely affect maize. Therefore, irrigation combined with straw mulching technology may be used to improve maize yield and WUE in semi-arid areas of Jilin Province. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Response Mechanism of Plants to Water in Efficient Water-Saving Irrigation Technologies)
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19 pages, 1862 KB  
Article
Yield and Plant Gas Exchange in Perennial Biomass Crops (BPGs) Under Different Water Regimes
by Elena Crapio, Sebastiano Andrea Corinzia, Alessandra Piccitto, Salvatore Luciano Cosentino and Giorgio Testa
Agronomy 2025, 15(8), 2007; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15082007 - 21 Aug 2025
Viewed by 360
Abstract
The increasing demand for renewable energy, coupled with the urgent challenges posed by climate change, has positioned perennial biomass crops (BPGs) as essential and sustainable alternatives for bioenergy production. This study investigated the impact of irrigation regimes on the physiological performance of three [...] Read more.
The increasing demand for renewable energy, coupled with the urgent challenges posed by climate change, has positioned perennial biomass crops (BPGs) as essential and sustainable alternatives for bioenergy production. This study investigated the impact of irrigation regimes on the physiological performance of three BPG species—Arundo donax L., Saccharum spontaneum, and Miscanthus—with a focus on leaf gas exchange (net assimilation rate and transpiration rate) and instantaneous water use efficiency (iWUE) at varying levels of irrigation input, adopting a split-plot experimental design under the Mediterranean climatic conditions of Sicily (Italy). The results clearly showed that A. donax, a C3 species, outperformed the C4 species S. spontaneum and Miscanthus, exhibiting significantly higher stomatal conductance and net photosynthesis, especially under irrigated conditions. S. spontaneum demonstrated the highest iWUE, particularly in rainfed treatments, reflecting its efficient use of water. Miscanthus showed the greatest sensitivity to water stress, with a more pronounced decline in photosynthesis during drought periods. This study accentuated the role of effective water management and genotype selection in optimizing biomass yield and resource efficiency, providing valuable insights for improving crop productivity in Mediterranean and other semi-arid regions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Response Mechanism of Plants to Water in Efficient Water-Saving Irrigation Technologies)
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16 pages, 3740 KB  
Article
Growing Processing Tomatoes in the Po Valley Is More Sustainable Under Regulated Deficit Irrigation
by Andrea Burato, Pasquale Campi, Alfonso Pentangelo and Mario Parisi
Agronomy 2025, 15(8), 1805; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15081805 - 25 Jul 2025
Viewed by 594
Abstract
The Po valley (northern Italy) is the leading European region for processing tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) production. Although historically characterized by abundant water availability, this area is now increasingly affected by drought risk. This study presents a two-year evaluation of regulated deficit [...] Read more.
The Po valley (northern Italy) is the leading European region for processing tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) production. Although historically characterized by abundant water availability, this area is now increasingly affected by drought risk. This study presents a two-year evaluation of regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) on processing tomatoes in northern Italy. In 2019 (Parma) and 2022 (Piacenza), full irrigation (IRR, restoring 100% crop evapotranspiration) and RDI (100% IRR until the color-breaking stage, followed by 50% IRR) strategies were compared within a completely randomized block design. Overall, RDI resulted in a 25% reduction in water use without compromising yield, which was maintained through unchanged plant fertility and fruit size compared to IRR. Remote sensing data from PlanetScope imagery confirmed the absence of water stress in RDI-treated plants. Furthermore, increased soluble solids and dry matter contents under RDI suggest a physiological adaptation of processing tomatoes to late-season water deficit. Remarkably, environmental and economic sustainability indicators—namely water productivity and yield quality—were enhanced under RDI management. This study validates a simple, sustainable, and readily applicable irrigation approach for tomato cultivation in the Po valley. Future research should refine this method by investigating plant physiological responses to optimize water use in this key agricultural region. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Response Mechanism of Plants to Water in Efficient Water-Saving Irrigation Technologies)
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17 pages, 1818 KB  
Article
Tuber Growth and Nutritional Traits in Deficit Irrigated Potatoes
by Rosario Paolo Mauro and Anita Ierna
Agronomy 2025, 15(5), 1019; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15051019 - 24 Apr 2025
Viewed by 626
Abstract
Knowledge of tuber growth and nutritional traits response of early potatoes to dynamic deficit irrigation is lacking. This study aimed to evaluate, over two growing seasons and using two potato cultivars (Arinda and Timate), the effects of five irrigation regimes on mean tuber [...] Read more.
Knowledge of tuber growth and nutritional traits response of early potatoes to dynamic deficit irrigation is lacking. This study aimed to evaluate, over two growing seasons and using two potato cultivars (Arinda and Timate), the effects of five irrigation regimes on mean tuber weight and nutritional profile (starch, dry matter, protein, reducing sugars, and ash content) during tuber growth and at final harvest. The irrigation treatments included I0 (dry control), I100 (100% ETm from tuber initiation to the end of tuber growth), I100-0 (100% ETm until 50% of tuber growth, then no irrigation), I100-50 (100% ETm until 50% of tuber growth, then 50% ETm), and I100-75 (100% ETm until 50% of tuber growth, then 75% ETm). Regardless of cultivars and seasons, I100-50 led to higher starch content and comparable mean tuber weight, dry matter, protein, reducing sugars, and ash contents compared to I100, with a saving of irrigation water of about 800 m3 ha−1 per season. Moreover, I100-0 did not substantially modify mean tuber weight compared to I100 but improved tubers’ nutritional profile by higher starch and dry matter contents and comparable values of reducing sugars and ash, providing a water saving of about 1500 m3 ha−1 per season. The studied cultivars behaved similarly with respect to the irrigation regimes. In conclusion, it was possible to effectively apply dynamic deficit irrigation to save irrigation water without compromising tuber weight and nutritional traits. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Response Mechanism of Plants to Water in Efficient Water-Saving Irrigation Technologies)
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19 pages, 2189 KB  
Article
Study on Alfalfa Water Use Efficiency and Optimal Irrigation Strategy in Agro-Pastoral Ecotone, Northwestern China
by Xiangyang Miao, Guoshuai Wang, Bing Xu, Ruiping Li, Delong Tian, Jie Ren, Zekun Li, Ting Fan, Zisen Zhang and Qiyu Xu
Agronomy 2025, 15(2), 258; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15020258 - 21 Jan 2025
Viewed by 1469
Abstract
Agro-pastoral ecotone is an important livestock production area in the north of China, and alfalfa is the main pasture crop in this area. Aiming to address the issues of groundwater overexploitation in the area with water demand, we assessed the consumption pattern, irrigation [...] Read more.
Agro-pastoral ecotone is an important livestock production area in the north of China, and alfalfa is the main pasture crop in this area. Aiming to address the issues of groundwater overexploitation in the area with water demand, we assessed the consumption pattern, irrigation scheduling, and water usage efficiency of alfalfa under subsurface drip irrigation. Alfalfa was used as the research object in this study. A DSSAT model was used to simulate the soil moisture, yield, and other alfalfa grow characteristics during a two-year in situ observation study and provide information on the best irrigation techniques and the water-use efficiency of alfalfa in the agro-pastoral ecotone of Northwestern China. The results showed that the ARE, nRMSE, and R2 values of the alfalfa soil water content, leaf area index, and yield varied between 3.82% and 5.57%, 4.81% and 8.06%, and 0.86 and 0.93, respectively, the accuracy of the calibrated and validated parameters were acceptable, and the model could be applied to this study. The water consumption of alfalfa ranged from 395.6 mm to 421.8 mm during the whole year, and the critical water consumption period was the branching stage and the bud stage. During the branching stage and the bud stage, water consumption was 30–31% and 31–33% of the total water consumption, and the water consumption intensity averaged 2.97–3.04 mm/d and 4.23–4.97 mm/d. The variations of WUE and IWUE were 11.74–14.39 kg·m−3 and 7.12–9.31 kg·m−3. Irrigation increased the water productivity of rain-fed alfalfa by 49.48–64.70% and increased the yield of alfalfa by 17.87–34.72%. With the highest yield as the goal, the recommended irrigation volumes for normal and dry flow years were 200 mm and 240 mm; with the goal of the highest utilization of groundwater resources, the recommended irrigation volumes for normal and dry flow years were 160 mm and 192 mm. The results of this study are expected to provide scientific and technological support for the rational utilization of groundwater and the scientific improvement of alfalfa yields in the agro-pastoral ecotone of Northwestern China. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Response Mechanism of Plants to Water in Efficient Water-Saving Irrigation Technologies)
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12 pages, 2365 KB  
Article
Optimizing Phosphatic Fertilizer Drip Timing to Improve Cotton Yield in Saline–Alkali Soil and Mitigate Phosphorus–Calcium Binding Risks
by Xiangxi Bu, Xiangwen Xie, Changxue Wu, Manqi Liu and Yongmei Xu
Agronomy 2025, 15(1), 138; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15010138 - 8 Jan 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1074
Abstract
To improve cotton yield in salinized arid fields, excess salt is removed and phosphorus content is increased. Adjusting phosphate fertilizer timing with water and fertilizer reduces phosphorus binding with calcium ions. Salt removal precedes phosphate application, enhancing soil phosphorus availability and promoting better [...] Read more.
To improve cotton yield in salinized arid fields, excess salt is removed and phosphorus content is increased. Adjusting phosphate fertilizer timing with water and fertilizer reduces phosphorus binding with calcium ions. Salt removal precedes phosphate application, enhancing soil phosphorus availability and promoting better growth. However, the optimal time for delaying phosphate fertilizer drip irrigation remains unclear. Therefore, this study evaluated the total salt, soil available phosphorus, and cotton yield under the condition of delayed phosphate fertilizer application. We conducted a field experiment using a completely randomized design to adjust the timing of phosphatic fertilizer application and apply the same amount of pure phosphorus. Specifically, “t” was defined as the total duration of one irrigation cycle, and the starting points for phosphorus application were as follows: T1, 1 h; T2, 1 h + 1/3 t h; T3, 1 h + 2/3 t h; CK, 1/3 t h. These values represent the duration of salt leaching through irrigation in each treatment. Phosphate fertilizer was applied to the soil after salt washing was complete. The results revealed that the T2 treatment exhibited the highest SPAD value (64.53), which was 11.46% and 15.48% higher than that of the T1 and T3 treatments. The 0–20 and 20–40 cm soil layers under the T2 treatment had the highest pH values of 9.12 and 9.37, representing increases of 1.93%, 1.21%, 4.50%, and 1.38% compared with T1 and T3 treatments, respectively (p < 0.05). At the bud stage, the Olsen-P in the T2 treatment was 82.86% and 26.53% higher than that in the T1 and T3 treatments, respectively (p < 0.05). The T2 treatment achieved the highest yield of 6492.09 kg/hm2, which was 31.47%, 31.53%, and 2.77% higher than that of T1, T3, and CK. Overall, the T2 treatment increased cotton yield and reduced the adsorption of calcium ions to available phosphorus in salinized soil. This study provides an effective technical approach for the sustainable development of salinized cotton fields in Xinjiang. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Response Mechanism of Plants to Water in Efficient Water-Saving Irrigation Technologies)
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24 pages, 6101 KB  
Article
Potential Impact of Drought and Rewatering on Plant Physiology and Fruit Quality in Long-Shelf-Life Tomatoes
by Cristina Patanè, Sarah Siah, Valeria Cafaro, Salvatore L. Cosentino and Sebastiano A. Corinzia
Agronomy 2024, 14(9), 2045; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14092045 - 6 Sep 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1546
Abstract
In this study, the effects of repeated cycles of drying and rehydration on some physiological traits were assessed in long shelf-life tomatoes cultivated in a typical semi-arid area of Southern Italy. Three Sicilian landraces (‘Custonaci’, ‘Salina’, and ‘Vulcano’) from the germplasm collection at [...] Read more.
In this study, the effects of repeated cycles of drying and rehydration on some physiological traits were assessed in long shelf-life tomatoes cultivated in a typical semi-arid area of Southern Italy. Three Sicilian landraces (‘Custonaci’, ‘Salina’, and ‘Vulcano’) from the germplasm collection at CNR-IBE (Catania, Italy) and a commercial tomato mini-plum (‘Faino Hy., control) were investigated under three water regimes: DRY (no irrigation), IRR (long-season full irrigation) and REW (post-drought rewaterings). Net photosynthetic assimilation rate (Pn), leaf transpiration (E), stomatal conductance (gs), instantaneous water use efficiency (WUEi), leaf intercellular CO2 (Ci, ppm), and leaf temperature (°C), were measured during the growing season. At harvest (late July), fruit production per plant was measured and ripened fruits were analysed for total solids (TS), soluble solids (SS), reducing sugars (RS), vitamin C (AscA), and total phenols (TP). Pn promptly responded to rewatering (REW), quickly increasing immediately after irrigation, and declined with soil drying up. All genotypes had similar physiological pathways in DRY, but in IRR, ‘Faino’ had higher Pn (up to 31 μmol CO2 m−2s−1) and E (up to 18 mmol H2O m−2s−1). Stomatal conductance (gs) after rewatering steeply increased and quickly declined after that. All local landraces had the same gs in IRR and REW. Variations in RWC were less pronounced than those in other physiological parameters. WUEi in REW and DRY proceeded similarly (up to 3 μmol CO2 mmol H2O). Irrigation in REW significantly promoted plant productivity over the DRY control (up to +150% in ‘Vulcano’). TS and SS in REW were lower than those in DRY, but higher (+19 and +7%, respectively) than in IRR. Vitamin C was greater in DRY and REW (26 and 18% higher than in IRR, respectively). TP in all local tomatoes were significantly higher (up to +29% in ‘Vulcano’) than those in the commercial control. Water regime had a minor effect on TP in ‘Custonaci’ and ‘Salina’. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) provided information on the changes in physiological and fruit quality traits in tomatoes in relation to cultivars and water regimes. The results of this study also revealed that a water-saving irrigation strategy where few irrigations are applied after prolonged periods of drought might be profitable in terms of fruit production enhancement in long shelf-life tomatoes and that limited rewaterings in most cases, help retaining high levels of fruit quality traits. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Response Mechanism of Plants to Water in Efficient Water-Saving Irrigation Technologies)
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